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How much invasion of privacy does the Petraeus-Broadwell scandal warrant?

by AirTalk

CIA Director David Petraeus, testifies before the US Senate Intelligence Committee during a full committee hearing on "World Wide Threats." on January 31, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

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The details of former CIA director David Petraeus’ affair are coming out, and a steady drip of new information reveals an increasingly expanding, twisted web of relationships. Since Petraeus handed in his resignation, there has been wild speculation from politicians and the media about his decisions and personal life.

Although Petraeus is recognized by both Democrats and Republicans as an incredibly gifted general and a solid CIA director, federal intelligence agencies have cited his affair as a potential security breach, and have begun an investigation. Some members of the House and Senate are calling for Petraeus to testify before Congress, while others have suggested that it would be best to drop the issue now that he has resigned. The FBI has meticulous records of the situation, with information from all involved parties – there are tens of thousands of emails documenting the specifics of the Petraeus-Broadwell affair.

How much personal information is the government entitled to in the case of a high-profile scandal within their ranks? How much detail should be made available to the general public? Does Petraeus’ former job disallow him a certain right to privacy?

Guest:

Ben Wizner, head of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Speech Privacy and Technology Project